A speech by Peter Dunne

One reason I am very confident National will lead the next government is that Labour, at this point in the political cycle, is not a viable, functioning alternative.

Actually, I am being polite here.

Events of recent times bring the term ‘cot case’ to mind.

With no new faces on their front bench, they are essentially going into this election with the re-heated caucus that New Zealanders threw out three years ago, and as one would expect, they seem bereft of new ideas.

It is not really possible to generate new ideas when you have yet to accept that your old ideas have been rejected.

All too true.

When I first turned my head to this speech, Rodney Hide was still leader of ACT and Osama bin Laden was still in ensconced in his Pakistani fortress.

They have both since met merciless fates, one at the hands of the US Navy Seals, and the other at the hands of a force considerably more scary.

One is now a bloodied corpse; the other at the bottom of the sea.

Heh.

There is another thing that Middle New Zealand does not want.

And I am going to speak his name: Winston Peters.

His obfuscations, half-truths, dancing on the head of a pin and, ultimately, his destructiveness, finally caught up with him in 2008.

My only concern about Winston Peters in 2011 is a very simple one: that people will have short memories.

Actually, he relies on that.

He counts on it.

One can only hope that his recently auctioned ‘No’ sign goes on a national tour later this year, stopping in every town hall and Grey Power meeting five minutes after Winston Peters darkens its doorstep.

It may not be the original, but you can bet NO signs will be appearing most places Winston does.

People need reminding in one simple word of the destructiveness and duplicity that Winston brought to New Zealand politics.

There is no more apt reminder of why New Zealanders should not have Winston Peters back – ever – than that sign.

That sign said it all, but in a way that he never intended. It should be his political epitaph. ‘No.’

I salute John Key for ruling him out yet again as a potential coalition partner.

It was bold and it was principled, just as it was in 2008.

Running a country is hard enough; you need to do it with people whose word today means what it meant yesterday, and will mean the same tomorrow.

The wink, the grin and a good deal of opportunistic fact-free scare-mongering should never again be enough for Winston Peters to re-enter a House that has been more honourable for his absence.

magic bullet

At this point it looks like Goff, Key and Brash are all working together to secure another NACT term. This is a sure sign that Labour needs to start its inevitable pruning of 1980s dead-wood from the party. Only then will we see the new and vital growth that is required for them to become a viable option. The sooner the better.

Positan

As a member of Grey Power, I’m baffled why some of the membership still maintain a soft spot for Peters. For a bunch of mature adults who presumably in their time have been there, seen it, as well as done most things, it’s completely inexplicable that such a demonstrable shyster could command any sort of following whatsoever among my contemporaries.

I can only put it down to deteriorated intellects – the onset of senility and feeble outlooks – as is evidenced by a childish susceptibility to a winks and grins.

Shazzadude

“As a member of Grey Power, I’m baffled why some of the membership still maintain a soft spot for Peters ”

It’s very simple, the majority of people vote for reasons of self-interest (whether that be tax cuts, WFF, increased pensions), and it’s in the interests of a lot of elderly to vote for increased pensions and additional concessions on the gold card.

Positan

re Shazzadude

I agree with your synopsis, although snake oil and bogus bonds are mostly sold by personable, well-presented types possessed of little moral substance. Irrespective of the self-interest, wouldn’t you think Peters’ past performance would by now have become a nullifying force to anyone, especially Grey Power members, who were actually able to think?

I salute John Key for ruling him out yet again as a potential coalition partner.

It was bold and it was principled, just as it was in 2008.”
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yeah ……….. whatever… Peter ‘I will use my political commonsense and ingratiate myself with whoever I think will win the next election so that my position is safe’ Dunne.

err… remind us all about how ‘bold and principled’ John Key was when he failed to disclose his Tranz Rail shareholding, at a time he was trying to flush out commercially sensitive information from which he personally benefit?

err… remind us all about how ‘bold and principled’ John Key was when ON HIS WATCH the Local Government (Tamaki Makarau) Reorganisation Act 2009 (which set up the framework for the Auckland $upercity corporate takeover) was railroaded through Parliament?

err… remind us all about how ‘bold and principled’ John Key was in keeping to National’s 2008 pre-election promise about the Auckland $upercity :

‘..to consult with Aucklanders once the findings of the Royal Commission were known’.

RRM

He is right in much of what he says.

But ROFL at Peter Dunne talking about bold and principled stances from anyone else. Mister I’ll work with the centre right or the centre left, I don’t really care which as long as I’m there. He is about as much an authority on bold and principled as the Queen is on motor racing.

FFS even the Right Wing Resistance is Bold and Principled compared to Peter Dunne 😛